Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Hansen was Dane who came to America |
at an early age, and was sent to Denmark |
as Consul in 1868, and served in that ca
pacity for several years. While in Den |
mark he collected the material upon which |
is based the volume before US. He gives
all the details and examines the genesis of
the legend OF Hamlet, or, as the Icelandic
tongue has it, Amlet or Amboldi, which
means, the mailman" Shakespeare
Hamlet was creation very different from
that of the legend. He killed off his hero,
that, as Hansen puts it, the curious might
not seek for further knowledge of such a
Prince in the rude legends and scattered
ballads of the Skalds of Denmark" The
Hamlet of legend revenges the death of his
father, and then laying aside his assump-
ton of madness, began his career OF great
ness. Shakespeares Hamlet was that of
refined and sensitive scholar, whose mis-
fortunes brought him TO untimely death |
but the Hamlet from whose character
is fashioned his wonderful poem, was
of a rough and heroic age, a man
almost constantly engaged in personal con-
troversies i'll which might determined
what was right He married the daughter
OF the King of Northumberland. and also
married the Queen of Scotland He re-
turned with his two wives to his Denmark
Kingdom, which he held by choice of the
people after he had slain his uncle-while
feigning madness-who had married Ham,
let's mother. He made war to unite all
the Danish provinces under his own scep-
ter, and largely succeeded. The final issue
was settled by wager of battle, in which
Viglet, the King of Lethra, slew Hamlet,
whose Queen married Viglet at once. But
there are variations from this story, and
Hansen pins his faith to the story that
Hamlet was killed in a naval battle in the
Oeresund
The September Century" has both
holiday and a political flavor, in each of
which respects it makes strong appeal to
current interests. The second part of
Snubbin, Through Jersey" by Hopkinson
Smith and ]. 3. Millet, is even more roll
licking than the first. Other papers
of outdoor life are devoted to 1.-The
Amateur Photographer by Alex
ander Black, and The Camera Club of
Cincinnati" by d. w. Huntington The
Constitutional centennial is taken note of
by an article on THE Trainers and Franz
ing of the Constitution" by Professor John
Bach McMaster. Two pictorials papers re-
late to Monticello, the home of Thomas
Jefferson. The Lincoln History reaches
a subject of special current interest, name
ly, Lincoln's nomination and election.
In Professor Atwater's series on "The
Chemistry of Food and Nutrition" we
have the fourth paper, dealing with the
much discussed question of THE Digest
iton of Food" The fiction consists of the
eleventh installment, and last but one, of
Mr.. Stockton's serial novel 1.-The Hun
dredth Man." the second part of Mr. Joel
Chandler Harris "Azalia,'' with illustra.
tons by Kemble, and 'skit by Harriet
Lewis Bradley, entitled Helen"
The subject of the present installment
of the War Series is 1.-The Siege of Peters
burg" The illustrations have much va
riety and the highest possible authenticity
The poetry of the number consists of two
stanzas, Mother and Artist by Alice
- II. II. s. Grave" by NJ. Virginia Donaghe
accompanied by a picture Of the grave or
cairn on Cheyenne mountain): Sub
Pondere Crescit," by T. W. Higginson, and
"Noblesse Oblige," by Robert Underwood
Johnson.
Shasta-The Keystone of California
scenery is the title of delightfully."- fresh
and attractive illuminated pamphlet in lin
en- covers, written and illustrated by E.
McD. tombstone of San Mateo. Cal 1t is
being circulated freely by the Passenger De- |
partment of the Southern Pacific Company.
t. ii. Goodman, General Passenger Agent.
1t is quarto in the quaintest of letter
press and the Oldest of pictures, with many
strikingly bold scenic views along the
route of the California and Oregon Rail !
road. from Redding northward. The pic |
turesque in California scenery is illimitable |
but nowhere in the State is it more strik-
ingly beautiful, than in the Shasta noun
tains. Yosemite is grander, more sublime,
and awe inspiring, but Shasta and the Sis
kiyou mountains are more varied brilliant, |
and in the true sense picturesque. Mr. |
Johnstone is possessed of witty style and
in his sketching is daringly original and
humorousiy quaint. The volume is
printed in colors on heavy paper and is an
admirable specimen of photographic and
topographic art. 1t takes the reader
through the Siskiyou mountains and up
into Oregon, and as far north as Portland
through the undulating valleys and beauti
ful wales of that State, with the great noun
tain peaks of the north on the right hand
standing guard over the whole delightful
region. The book as originally issued re-
lated only to California scenery on the
north, but the present edition has fifteen
pages devoted to the scenery from Ashland
to Portland.
From Harper q Bros, New York, and
the Bancroft Company, San Francisco, we
have Baldwin, and Other Tales" by Karl
Erdmann Elder. Translated from the
German by the Earl of Lytton. The writ
ings of Elder represent the lighter work
manship of German author whose origin
ality and brilliancy have made his books
stand out conspicuously as a representative
of type of genius peculiar and not prop
erly to be paralleled with any other.
Speaking of the popularity of Elders tales,
his translator says: THE world into
which they admit US is neither supernatu-
raj nor grotesque, but thoroughly human
1t is a world peopled by men and women
not by specters, or sylphs, or abstract quail.
ties in fancy costume. Some of their desc ip-
tive passages reveal an intimacy with tie
feelings of childhood and the significance Of
inanimate objects which will occasionally
remind an English reader of the humor of
Andersen. But between the genius of their
author and that of the Danish poet the diff
ference is also far-reaching for where An
dersen ends, this author only begins. His
imagination hovers tenderlv over the realm
of childhood, but it does not rest there
and what it seeks in the child is the father
of the man. Those to whom any work of
original genius is always welcome, come
whence it may, may probably be able to
find some charm even in the clumsiest
translation of it."
The Overland Monthly" for September
has been looked forward to with more than
the usual interest because of the announce
ment extensively copied by the press, that
1t would contain the Diary of II. W. Big
Ter, which John S. Hittell pronounces the
most authoritative record of the gold dis
covery. The Diary is full of amusing and
interesting touches that make it extremely
readable even apart from its historic char
acter Admission Day and the Pioneer eel
ebration has been allowed to color nearly
all the contents of the number. There is
charming mining story named Manzsn-
ita." One of the pioneer schools of San
Francisco, " The College Charlemagne." is
pictured. The Acequia Madre of San
tiago " tells of the elopement of the two
Pueblo lovers. General Towards article
tells in way that gives an appreciation of
the perplexities CT Indian fighting, of
hard mountain chase after the fleeing Ban
hacks. The doings of The Vigilantes of
Montana are described and defended |
There are three poems by L. r. Sill, and
the usual variety of other matter, alto !
getber making fine number
From S. r. Niles Newspaper Advertis- !
ing Agency, Boston, we have The Maver- |
lex National Bank Manual" The issue is |
up to July l, 1887. 1t opens with chapter |
on the financial outlook, followed by chap !
tiers on the history of the national debt, the |
credit of nations State and municiDaI in